Articulated doll



May 8, 1951 P. REKETTYE 2,552,216

ARTICULATED DOLL Filed Aug. 28, 1946 INVENTOR -PAUL QEKETTYE ATTORNEYS Patented May 8, 1951 ARTICULATED DOLL Paul Rekettye, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The Sun Rubber Company, Barberton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 28, 1946, Serial No. 693,415

8 Claims. 1

The present invention is directed to improvements in the constructions of articulated rubber toys and particularly rubber dolls in which the limbs are connected to the torso so that they may be rotated in sockets in the torso. The purpose of the present invention is to improve upon the construction shown in the patents to Nagel 2,118,682, May 24, 2,160,739, May 30, 1939.

Articulated dolls made in accordance with the earlier patents referred to have been very successful commercially, but it is quite dimcult to attach the limbs to the torso due to the heavy construction which must be employed in order to prevent too easy removal of the limbs. Dolls of this type are characterized by the provision of a hemi-spherical socket in the torso from the center of which projects a mushroom-like stud over which the limb is fitted. The limb is provided on its inner end with an aperture the diameter of which is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the shank of the stud so that an edge of an opening in the limb engages behind the head of the stud.

Due to the necessity of making the wall of the limb, and particularly that part surrounding the opening, of relatively thick material, forcing the limb over the mushroom head is a very laborious operation. This operation can only be done by a workman of great manual power, and requires a certain knack or technique in addition to great strength. In order to attach the limb it is necessary to provide a mechanical stretcher which engages two sides of the opening in the limb and elongates it so that the workman may forcibly insert the stud in the opening.

It is the object of the present invention to modify the joints between the torso and the limbs so that the doll may be assembled with the exercise of little effort. This is accomplished without in any manner afiecting the permanence of the joint so that the limbs are not easily detached once they have been assembled. By modifying the joint in the'manner described herein dolls may be assembled by girls employed in other capacities in connection with the making 1938, and Hugus of the dolls.

The operation of assembling the limbs on a rubber torso will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings which show the perfected structure, but it will be understood that the disclosure contained herein is exemplary only and that the structure may be modified or altered without affecting the 2 principles of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a torso of a hollow rubber doll, two of the limbs being removed to show the sockets.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view taken through .a socket in the torso, the stud being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view looking at thetop of the stud.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the method of starting the limb.

Fig. 6 is a cross section through a joint showing the limb in finally assembled position.

The method of assembling a limb on a torso is as follows: With one hand the operator seizes the torso and by exerting pressure thereon the wall of the socket is depressed which projects the stud so that one side thereof is exposed beyond the torso. In this exposed area the mushroom-like head of the stud is cut away to provide a spiral or inclined slot or groove leading to the underside of the head. The operator takes the limb in the other hand and by exerting pressure thereon the opening is distorted throwing its inner edge outwardly. Holding the limb in angular position with respect to the torso the operator now inserts one side of the limb in the socket at the same time entering the opening of the limb beneath the outer overhanging shoulder formed by the slot. The operation at this point is shown in Fig. 5. Having made sure that the edge surrounding the opening in the limb is hooked behind the leading end of the slot, the operator rotates the limb maintaining inward pressure thereon so that the flange or edge surrounding the opening in the limb is fed inwardly along the slot. When the limb has been rotated 360 all of the flange will have passed beneath the head of the stud and the limb will be fully seated as shown in Fig. 6. I

The construction shown permits the limb to be screwed into position instead of being forced on as in prior practices. It will be noted that when the limb is fully assembled it reassumes its natural position and the connection between the torso and the limb is just as permanent as in prior constructions. It is impossible to screw the limb out of its socket because it is impossible for the flange to engage in the slot after it has sprung into place beneath the head of the stud.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

The numeral 1 represents the torso of a hollow rubber doll, the walls of which are of substantial thickness. At the points on the torso where the limbs are joined the torso is formed with sockets 2. Each socket is spherical in form so that the limb may rotate therein.

From the center of the socket projects an integral stud 4 provided with an enlarged mushroom shaped head 5. The limb, either an arm or a leg, is indicated at B. This-member is also hollow. Its inner end 7- is generally spherical in shape so that when the limb is attached it may rotate within the socket. The inner end of the limb is provided with a hole It having an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the stem" portion ot the-stud 4. Preferably the margin surroundingthehole I is thickened appreciably as shown at II. It will be noted that the structure of the doll at the joint is comparatively heavy so that the limb is not easily removed. In order to prevent the limb from popping off if it is squeezed, due to the compression ofthe air within the limb, a vent i2 is provided along the side of the: stud by which air may escape.

The 'features' described. so far are found in the patents referred to above, it being noted that all of theadvantages of the prior inventions have been retained- To accomplish the purposes of the present invention the head 5' of the stud is provided with an inclined groove or slot l5 which is preferably in register with the vent slot [2. This slot is of the same width, or a little greater than the depth of the" opening and is set at an inclination of approximately 45. At the point where the slot. opens in the top of: the stud the material of the stud is cut away to form a supplementary inclined surface it which facilitates the engagement of the flange i i with the shoulder ill on the opposite side of the slot.

The operation of attaching a limb to the torso will have been made clear from the foregoing description. With the torso and a limb held in the position shown in Fig. 5, the edge of the opening w is hooked under the shoulder t8 and continued rotation of the limb and inward pressure'ca'use the limb to be brought into full fitting engagement with the stud. When rotation is completed the edge of the opening ill springs out into the spacebehind the head of the stud and the limb is free to rotate without any tendency to disengage. The only way in which the limb may be removed is by a strong direct outward pull.

While the invention is particularly adapted to the making of hollow articulated dolls, it is not necessarily restricted to such a field. It is conceivable that the position of the stud and opening might'be reversed but it is preferred to have the stud on the torso.

The invention may be applied to the attachment of two members-of any toy or other object in which it isdesired to provide an articulated structure, and while the immediate field is in the manufacture of rubber dolls or toys it is not necessarily restricted to the use of rubber as other flexible materials may be substituted therefor either in whole or in part.

What is claimed is:

1. An articulated rubber toy having members comprising a body portion and a limb carried thereby, a socket in one of said members, a stud in the socket having an enlarged head an opening. in the other member adapted to fit around the shank of the stud when. the members are assembled, and an inclined groove in the head of the stud and leading from the outer surface thereof to the space behind the head of the stud.

2. An articulated rubber doll having a hollow torso, a rounded socket formed in the outer surface of the torso, a stud projecting from the center of the socket, an enlarged head on the outer end of the stud, a hollow limb, the inner end of the limb being rounded to fit within the socket when the limb is attached to the torso, and having an opening in its inner end to fit around the shank of the stud and lie under the headof the stud and an inclined groove in the head of the stud of a width to permit the passage of the edge of said limb surrounding said opening and leading from the top of the stud to the space beneath the" head.

3. An articulated doll having a torso, a stud on the torso, said stud having a stem and an enlarged head, a limb having an opening at its inner end to provide an edge adapted to fit around the stem and beneath the head when the limb and torso are assembled and a groove in the head leading from the top of thestud to the. space about the stem, said groove being of a width and inclination to permit said edge'to pass thereint'o andbehind the head.

4. An articulated doll having a torso, a stud on the torso, said stud having a stem and an enlarged head, a limb having an opening at its inner end to provide an edge adapted to fit around the stem and beneath the head when the limb and torso are assembled and a groove in the head leading from the top of the stud to the space about the stem, said groove being of a width to permit said edge to pass progressively from the exterior of the stud to a position behind the head as the limb is rotated relatively to the torso.

5. An articulated rubber doll having a hollow torso, a stud projecting from the torso, saidstud having a stem and an enlarged head on its outer end, a hollow limb having an opening providing an edge adapted to fit about the stem with its edge underlying the head when the limb is attached to the torso, said head being provided at one point with .an inclined groove leading to the space'beneath the head and providing a passage through which said edge may move to a position behind the head when the limb is rotated relative to the torso.

6-. An articulated device comprising two separable members, a stud projecting from one of said: members and provided with an enlarged head, an opening in the other member provided with an edge adapted to underlie the head when the members are assembled, and an inclined slot in the head and leading to the space behind the head, said slot being so proportioned as to permit said edge to be passed through the slot to a position underlying the head by relative rotary movement of the members.

7. An articulated toy comprising at least two members in jointed relation to one another, one of said members being provided with a projecting stud having a stem and an enlarged head thereon, the second member being provided with an opening, the edge portion of said second member surrounding the opening being adapted to fit around the stem and lie behind the head, and a slot in the head of a width to receive said edge portion when the members are partially assembled and permit the edge portion to pass progressively through the slot to its fully assembled,- articulated position behind the head as the members are rotated relatively to one another;

slot to its fully assembled, articulated position behind the head as the members are rotated relatively to one another.

PAUL REKETTYE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date I-Iugus et al May 30, 1939 Number 

